Come What May
by Lady Dudley
Summary: AU: What if Pam and Eric's roles were reversed in Season 4? Or: Season 4 turned on it's head...
1. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

**A/N: In the absence of new material (i.e. Season 5) I have returned to Season 4 and decided to write another AU. This is similar to "I'll Stand By You" but, obviously, with a twist. Hope it works and that you enjoy it! :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

_**Come What May**_

Eric was indulging himself in his new hobby: Sookie.

Ever since she had returned he had made it his mission to drive all thoughts of Bill from her mind and make her his.

So far his attempts had been unsuccessful, but his continued insistence that he was the only one not to have given up on her was slowly wearing down her resistance.

That coupled with his purchase and restoration of her house made him reasonably confident that he would soon silence all her protests.

With that happy thought in mind he knocked on her front door.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, opening the door.

He gave her a charming smile, "I have come to see how you're settling back into your life."

Sookie raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

"I told you, Sookie, your concerns have become my own."

"Uh-huh," she said, clearly unimpressed.

"Surely you know by now that I only want what is best for you," he told her sweetly.

"If you really wanted that then you'd leave me alone," she told him flatly.

Eric was about to respond when a spike of fear from Pam made him pause.

He'd sent her to deal with a witch problem in his stead; she'd dealt with this sort of thing before so it shouldn't be causing her any problems.

The feeling went almost as quickly as it had come, however, and he turned his attention back to where Sookie was still eyeing him warily.

"Sookie-" he began, only to be cut off as he was suddenly swamped with fear and confusion.

Something was wrong.

"Excuse me," he said brusquely, rushing off into the night and leaving a confused Sookie in his wake.

It didn't take him long to find Pam, but he was surprised to find that she was avoiding him.

He growled softly in frustration, "I'm not in the mood for any of your games, Pamela," he told the darkness firmly.

"Who are you?" came her almost frightened voice from nearby.

"I don't have time for this," he repeated.

"Why are you so angry?" she asked, her voice holding a note of fear he was not accustomed to hearing from her.

He made a monumental effort to calm himself, "I'm not angry, Pam, just stop hiding."

Silence met his request before she tentatively stepped out into the moonlight.

Eric frowned at the way she shrunk from him when he took a step towards her; something was _definitely_ wrong.

"Pam?" he questioned, gentling his tone considerably.

"You're a vampire," she said softly, dancing nervously on the balls of her bare feet; Eric noted that small detail with a slight frown.

"Yes I am," he confirmed, "so are you."

"I know," she said simply; her eyes darted around nervously. "Who are you?" she asked after a long moment.

"I'm Eric, your Maker," he told her patiently, getting a very bad feeling about what was going on.

She looked at him with wide eyes for a long moment, before suddenly rushing into his arms.

"What's going on?" he asked softly.

"I don't know," she whispered into his chest, "please don't leave me," she added, tightening her hold on him, "I don't want to be alone."

"You're not alone, Pam, I'm here."

She pulled back a little to look up at him quizzically, "Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Because it's your name."

To his dismay her lip quivered and her eyes filled with bloody tears, "I don't remember that," she buried her face in his neck once more, "I don't remember anything, Sedric."*

"Eric," he corrected her.

"Sorry."

Eric tightened his hold on her, "It doesn't matter, you're safe now," he told her, promising himself that the same could not be said for whoever had done this to his child.

...

* I couldn't help it, Eric's "Snookie" line cracked me up in S4 so I had to have Pam get his name wrong here! :P


	2. Suspicious Minds

"I thought you were going to deal with the witch problem," Bill said, striding uninvited into Eric's office the next evening.

"No, please, do come in," Eric said sarcastically.

Bill gave him a hard look and Eric gave a small sigh of defeat.

"I said I would deal with them and I will," Eric told him.

"Where's Pam?" Bill asked, suddenly changing the subject as he looked around Eric's office, "I didn't see her in the bar."

"I gave her the evening off, why?"

"Just curious," Bill replied.

Something in his tone made Eric suspicious, but he wasn't about to tell him the truth.

"So what are you going to do about the witches?" Bill demanded, changing the subject back as abruptly as before, "I've heard that they may not be all they seem."

"_I_ will deal with them," Eric repeated firmly.

It was Bill's turn to be suspicious, "You almost make it seem personal," he narrowed his eyes, "is there something you should tell me?"

Eric pretended to think for a moment, "No, I don't think so."

"I am your King," Bill reminded him.

"So you have said, over and over again, my liege," Eric told him drily.

"Don't push your luck, Eric," Bill warned him.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Eric replied smoothly.

Bill pursed his lips, but made no further comment.

"Was there anything else?" Eric asked.

"Not at this point," Bill told him, preparing to leave, "just clean up this witch problem, we could have another coven of necromancers on our hands. I want this dealt with before it gets out of hand."

Eric inclined his head, "As you wish."

Bill eyed him suspiciously before leaving the room.

Eric sat back in his seat, deep in thought.

If the witches really were necromancers that could explain what had happened to Pam and could also mean that she was in more danger than he had thought.

He would have to deal with them, tonight.


	3. Stay

"Please, Eric, don't leave me," Pam begged, hanging onto his arm as he prepared to leave the house.

"Pam, I told you, I have to go and deal with the witches," Eric explained calmly.

"But what if they curse you too?" she clutched his arm tighter, "Please, Eric, stay with me."

Eric looked at her imploring expression, her eyes pleaded with him in a way no other woman's could, almost breaking his resolve.

"Pam, I have to go. It's the only way to keep you safe," he explained, gently prising her fingers loose.

"I'm frightened," she said softly.

"I know, but I won't let anything happen to you," he paused, "you believe that don't you?"

She nodded and he kissed her forehead.

"I won't be gone long," he promised and was gone, her forlorn expression burned into his mind.

The sooner he sorted out whatever had happened to her the better, he wasn't used to her being so vulnerable and he didn't like it.

As her Maker he had always felt responsible for keeping her safe and happy, but with her in this state that feeling had gone into overdrive and he couldn't concentrate on anything else.

He had to do something before he lost his mind: he needed his Pam back.


	4. Season Of The Witch

**A/N: This is basically the Eric version of "Fix my Maker" :P**

"This grows tiresome," Eric commented, watching the nervous Marnie prepare to cast a spell to restore Pam.

"I told you, I don't know what happened," Marnie stuttered, "but if she hadn't threatened us she would have been fine."

Eric took a menacing step towards her, "Are you saying this is _her_ fault?" he demanded.

Marnie shied away from him, "Of course not," she mumbled, clearly meaning the opposite but Eric let the lie slide.

Marnie continued with her preparations and Eric felt his frustration grow, "How much longer is this going to take?" he demanded.

"As long as it takes," she snapped, before remembering who she was talking too, "it would have been easier if she were here."

Eric snorted, "If you think for one moment that I would let her within 100 miles of you then you are more deluded than I thought you were."

"Then don't complain about how long it's taking," Marnie replied smoothly, lighting some candles.

Eric gave a low growl but refrained from any further action, reminding himself that he needed Marnie if he wanted to help Pam.

Finally, Marnie looked like she might be able to begin casting the spell, when Eric suddenly felt a spike of fear from Pam.

He was gone in the next moment, leaving a bewildered Marnie behind.

"Pam? What's happened?" Eric asked anxiously, bursting through the door and looking frantically around.

He cursed under his breath; he should never have left her alone in her condition.

He found her in the next room, cowering in a corner with an unconscious Bill on the floor nearby.

As soon as she saw Eric she leapt to her feet and rushed to his side, "What happened?" he asked, looking down at Bill.

"I thought he was going to kill me, I didn't know what to do," Pam explained in a rush, still trembling with fear in his arms, "he was so angry."

Eric absently rubbed calming circles on her back as he contemplated this latest development.

"Are you mad?" Pam asked anxiously, breaking him from his thoughts.

"No, I'm not mad," Eric assured her, "just…concerned."

Pam sniffed, "Who is he?"

"The King of Louisiana."

"Oh," she paused, "are we in trouble?"

Eric sighed, "Yes, beloved, I'm afraid we are."

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

Eric's only response was to pull her closer.


	5. You're My Girl

"Are you completely insane?" Bill demanded later that evening.

"That all depends on your definition of insanity," Eric replied smoothly.

Bill narrowed his eyes, "Don't you realise you're harbouring a potentially dangerous tool of the witches?"

"What's the matter, Bill? Embarrassed that even in her current state she managed to get the better of you?" Eric taunted, clearly amused.

Bill glanced over to where Pam sat next to Eric, clearly uncomfortable about discussing this with her in the room, "She has to be destroyed."

Eric's eyes flashed and his tone took on a dangerous edge, "She is still my child."

"She is a danger to her kind."

Pam began to tremble a little in fear and Eric silently reached out to take one of her hands.

"She is nothing of the sort," he said firmly.

"I don't like it any more than you do, Eric, but she _must _be destroyed."

Eric leapt to his feet and took up a protective stance in front of Pam, Bill got to his feet in the same moment and the two vampires glared at each other.

"You will have to kill me first," Eric growled through his fangs.

"That can be arranged," Bill assured him, holding his ground.

Both vampires snarled at each other, fangs bared. Behind them, Pam whimpered and cowered on the couch, covering her face.

"Stop it, please…" she begged, scrunching herself into a smaller ball on the couch.

Eric was at her side in an instant.

"Does she really look like a danger to you?" Eric demanded, glaring up at Bill whilst rubbing a soothing hand on Pam's back.

"It's not about what I think it's about what the witches could do through her," Bill replied, unconsciously gentling his tone in the face of Pam's fear.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," Pam said softly.

"You won't, I won't let you," Eric told her, just as softly.

She looked him square in the eye, "I would never be able to forgive myself if I hurt you, Eric," she paused, "if this is the only way to stop that from happening, then I'll do it."

"No," Eric said firmly.

Pam looked up at him with tear filled eyes, "It's the only way."

"I forbid it."

"I can't let anything happen to you."

"Pam-"

Pam ignored him and turned to Bill, "I'll go with you."

"No," Eric growled, moving to block Bill from reaching her.

"Please, Eric," she begged.

"No," he insisted, his eyes locked with Bill's, "there has to be another way."

"I will go through you if I have to," Bill warned him.

"I would like to see you try," Eric countered.

"Don't make this any harder than it already is," Bill continued, ignoring Eric's comment.

"I am still her Maker, Bill, I won't let you destroy her," he paused, "I can protect her. She's my child; my influence over her must count for something."

Bill paused, "I can't take the risk that it could be countermanded," he said, his tone coloured by regret.

"If you do this, I'll help the witches myself," Eric warned.

"Eric…" Bill began.

"No," Eric interrupted him, "think about it, what if this was Jessica? Wouldn't you try to do everything in your power to see if the curse could be reversed?"

At the mention of Jessica, Bill began to waver.

"Please, Bill, just give me some more time," Eric continued, pressing home his advantage.

"Fine," Bill conceded, "you have a week."

"Thank you," Eric said sincerely.

Bill grunted and was gone, Eric turned around slowly to look at Pam.

"Don't ever do that again," he told her.

"I just wanted to protect you," she said softly, bowing her head.

He tilted her head up with a finger under chin, "Let me worry about that, ok?" he asked and she nodded.

"If anything happened to you, I don't know what I'd do," he told her, sitting next to her on the couch and gathering her up in his arms.

"I love you, Eric," she confessed into his shoulder.

"I love you too," he said softly.


	6. Every Baby Needs A Da da daddy

Much later that evening Eric entered Pam's room to find her sitting on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest and listening to some music.

The scene was a familiar one, but instead of turning and chiding him for entering her room without knocking, Pam merely turned sorrowful eyes in his direction.

"What are you listening to?" he asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, just shy of her personal space.

"I don't know, it was in the CD player."

"Ah."

Eric looked around the room at a complete loss on what else to say, he listened to the music for few moments and smiled softly.

Marilyn Munroe.

Pam had been obsessed with the blonde bombshell, almost to the point of it being unhealthy. She'd gone into mourning for a week when the news broke about her death.

The song changed and Eric's smile turned a little wistful; he hated this song but Pam used to play it every so often just to annoy him.

_Every baby needs a da-da-daddy  
>To keep her worry-free.<br>Every baby needs a da-da-daddy,  
>But where's one for me?<em>

"Do you miss her?" Pam asked, breaking him from his musings.

"Who?"

"Her," she paused, "well, me, I guess, the _real_ me."

Eric took a moment to consider his answer, "No," he said finally.

She looked at him in surprise.

"I don't miss her because she's still here, _you_ are still my child and you will _always_ be my child. Curse or no curse," he told her seriously.

Pam wiped a stray tear off her cheek with the back of her hand and gave him a small smile, "I don't know what to say," she said finally.

"Well, that would be a first," he teased and her smile broadened. "Come on," he said, standing up, "it's time we went to ground."

Pam stood as well, clutching his proffered hand, "You will…stay with me, won't you?" she asked, looking up at him imploringly.

Eric smiled down at her as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "Always."

_Every baby needs a da-da-daddy,  
>In case she runs aground<br>Every baby needs a da-da-daddy,  
>To keep her safe and sound.<br>Yes we feel just like red riding hood,  
>Cos the wolves are awful hungry in the neighbourhood<br>Oh every baby needs a da-da-daddy.  
>Could my da-daddy be you?<em>

...

**A/N: "Every baby needs a da-da-daddy" and "My Heart Belongs To Daddy" are two songs that I could see Pa****m playing in order to annoy Eric :P**


	7. I Will Be Here

"You gave me a week," Eric reminded Bill, moving in front of Pam as the latter entered Fangtasia two nights later.

"I'm not here to take your child," Bill told him, "I'm here to save your life," he added, dumping a bag on a nearby table.

It landed with a metallic clink; Eric raised an eyebrow and looked from the bag to Bill, "No thank you, I don't think silver suits me."

Bill pursed his lips, "Marnie has become more powerful than we anticipated; she's cast a spell that will compel all vampires to greet the dawn." He gestured towards the bag, "You will both have to bind yourselves with silver to keep yourselves safe."

Pam dutifully stepped towards the bag, but Eric put out a restraining hand, stopping her forward motion. "You want us to wilfully bind ourselves with silver?" he asked, eyeing Bill suspiciously.

"It's the only way you can protect yourselves," Bill glanced at his watch, "I don't have much time, I must return to Jessica. I will leave this with you," he added, indicating the bag and making his way to the door.

Bill paused in the doorway, "If you care for her at all, Eric, you'll do this," he added and was gone.

Eric frowned, deep in thought, as Pam went over to the bag and peeked inside.

"These are big chains," she commented, "you must be very strong," she added, looking up at him in admiration.

Eric came to look in the bag as well, "Those chains aren't for me, they're for you," he told her, he pointed to an even heavier chain at the bottom of the bag. "That one is for me," he added.

Pam's eyes were like saucers as she looked up at him, "How old are you?" she asked.

He grinned, "I stopped counting at one thousand," he said, enjoying her shocked expression as he went to find Ginger.

"It's going to hurt isn't it?" Pam asked fearfully a few minutes later as Eric helped her into her coffin.

"Yes," he said bluntly, "but the True Death would be worse."

She gave a small nod as she lay down, "Eric, don't leave me," she begged, clutching his hand.

He looked into her fear filled eyes and knew he was lost; almost without knowing what he was doing, Eric climbed into the coffin with her.

She snuggled into his chest as he put his arms around her, "Thank you," she whispered.

"Don't thank me yet," Eric counselled her as Ginger came into view, holding a length of silver chain and looking almost as nervous as Pam.

Ginger faltered slightly when she saw them both together, but wisely held her tongue and lowered the first chain.

After that, they both knew nothing but the pain.


	8. Everything's All Right

Pam was exhausted, Bill hadn't been kidding when he'd told them that the silver would be their only means of protection.

It had been excruciatingly painful, but she'd somehow managed to endure both the silver and the overwhelming desire to go out into the sunlight.

She started when the pillow underneath her groaned and shifted slightly.

She recognised Eric's scent and relaxed when she realised it was him she was leaning against. As surreptitiously as she could she buried her nose into his shirt, breathing in his comforting scent.

She jumped as his arm came up to circle her waist.

"You keep jumping like that and I'm going to think you're up to something," Eric commented.

She peeped up to where his head was resting against the back of the seat they were sitting on, his eyes closed. "You keep frightening me like that and my jumping will be the least of your worries," she shot back.

Eric smiled and looked down at her, "There's my feisty little warrior," he teased.

She pulled a face at him and rested her head back on his chest, "It's easy to be brave when you're with me," she said quietly.

Eric wasn't sure how to respond to that statement and they lapsed into silence, but Pam could feel the swirl of emotions that her comment had caused and she smiled into his chest.

"There's no need to feel so smug," Eric said, breaking the silence and making Pam giggle.

She opened her mouth to reply when a door opened nearby, startling her into silence.

"I see you both survived," Bill said as he came striding into the room.

"You don't have to pretend to be so pleased," Eric told him, sitting up straighter. Pam moved to leave his lap but he tightened his hold on her, keeping her where she was. "What do you want Bill?" he demanded.

"We are going to speak to Marnie, I would like you there when we do," Bill said bluntly.

"Very well," Eric agreed, Pam made a dissenting noise but he ignored her, "but I will need to get Pam somewhere safe first."

Bill inclined his head, "As you wish."

Pam waited until Bill was gone before she turned to Eric, "You can't go. What if she does something to you? What if…?"

Eric silenced her protests with a finger over her mouth, "I will take you somewhere safe," he said firmly, "it will be all right."

Pam gave a sullen nod, still looking unconvinced. Eric smiled and kissed her forehead, "It will be all right," he repeated.


	9. Bye, Bye Baby

"What are we doing here?" Pam asked uneasily as she looked around Sookie's front yard later that evening.

"This is Sookie's house," Eric told her patiently, "Sookie will be able to keep you safe."

"What sort of a name is 'Sookie'?" she asked absently, moving to stand closer to him.

Eric suppressed a sigh, "Her name isn't important, keeping you safe is."

"And how do you know she'll be able to do that?"

"Because Sookie is special," Eric told her as he knocked on the door.

Pam eyed him suspiciously, "How special?"

Eric was saved from having to answer by Sookie opening the door.

"I need your help," Eric said without preamble, Sookie raised an eyebrow. "I need you to look after Pam while I go with Bill to meet Marnie."

"What's wrong with Pam?" Sookie asked, shooting a concerned look in Pam's direction. She did a double take when she noticed that Pam was clutching one of Eric's shirts like a security blanket.

"She's not herself," Eric replied cryptically, "will you help me or not?"

"All right," Sookie conceded, moving aside to allow both vampires access to her house.

Sookie watched in silence as Eric led Pam down into the hidey hole he'd installed.

"You need to stay here," Eric told Pam quietly as she took a tentative seat on the bed, clutching the shirt she carried to her chest.

"I don't like it here, Eric, can't I just stay at home?" she begged.

"I need to know you'll be safe," he said, squatting in front of her, "and you will be safe here."

"I don't want you to go."

"You know I have no choice," he said softly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I'll be back before you miss me," he told her with a small smile as he got his feet.

"I wouldn't count on it," she mumbled as he kissed her forehead.

"Just stay here, where you'll be safe," Eric told her, climbing out of the hidey hole and ignoring the guilt he felt in leaving her like this.

"What's wrong with her?" Sookie whispered as he made to leave.

"That is not your concern," Eric told her gruffly.

"It is if you want me to help her," Sookie said stubbornly, crossing her arms.

"The witches cast a spell on her that somehow managed to erase her memory, all right?" Eric said impatiently, "All you have to do is keep her hidden and keep her safe, I'll be back as soon as I can."

Sookie nodded mutely, surprised by his outburst.

"I'm counting on you, Sookie," he said as he left the house, "don't make me regret it," he warned before disappearing into the darkness.


	10. Mess Of Blues

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, I'm glad people are enjoying this :)**

Sookie hovered near the door leading down the hidey hole.

Eric had insisted that it was none of her business what was going on, but he hadn't gone as far as banning her from talking to Pam. Sookie eyed the bottle of Tru Blood she held in her hand, besides she was just being a good hostess.

She straightened her spine, it didn't matter what he had said or didn't say, _no one_ told her what to do in her own home.

With that thought in mind Sookie made her way down into the hidey hole.

She wasn't entirely sure what she expected to find when she got there, but the sight of Pam curled up in the foetal position, clutching Eric's shirt almost broke her heart.

This was not the badass Pam she was accustomed to.

"Pam?" she asked softly.

Pam looked up at her, but otherwise made no response.

"I brought you some Tru Blood," Sookie said, holding out the bottle.

Pam eyed it suspiciously, "I'm not hungry, thank you," she said finally.

"Well, I'll just leave it here in case you change your mind," Sookie said gently, placing the bottle near the bed.

Sookie paused for a few moments, before giving Pam a small smile and making her way back out.

"Are you his too?" Pam asked.

Sookie stopped, halfway up the ladder, and looked back at the woman on the bed. "He would like to think so," Sookie said, coming back down to join Pam, "but no."

She watched as Pam moved to sit up, seemingly relieved by this piece of information. "He will come back won't he?" she asked anxiously, still clutching the shirt.

"It will take much more than a bunch of witches to stop Eric Northman," Sookie assured her.

Pam nodded and Sookie's eyes returned, of their own volition, back to the shirt.

"He gave this to me, so I wouldn't be scared," Pam said softly, following Sookie's gaze, looking very much like a lost little girl.

"Is it helping?" Sookie asked gently.

"No," Pam said after a moment, Sookie's eyes widened as Pam's lip quivered, "will you stay with me?" she asked.

Sookie took a tentative seat on the bed and was surprised when Pam curled up against her side, "I'll stay here until he comes back," Sookie promised.

"Thank you," Pam whispered.

Sookie slipped her arm around Pam's shoulders, marvelling at the change in the other woman.


	11. Broken

The silence in the hidey hole was broken almost an hour later by the sound of someone breaking into Sookie's house.

Sookie winced as Pam clutched her arm fearfully, "It'll be all right," Sookie assured her, freeing her arm from Pam's vicelike grip. "Just stay down here," Sookie told her, standing up.

She stopped at the bottom of the ladder and took a steadying breath before making her way out of the hidey hole. Making sure that the entrance was closed securely behind her; Sookie grabbed her shotgun and went to face the intruder.

"Miss Stackhouse, how lovely to see you again," Marnie greeted her.

"What are you doing in my house?" Sookie demanded, ignoring Marnie's attempt at pleasantry.

"We know you're hiding the progeny of Eric Northman," Marnie told her, "and we've come to get her."

Sookie cocked her gun, "You can't have her."

Marnie tsked, "It's for her own good," Marnie assured her.

Sookie narrowed her eyes and took aim, "Forgive me, but I don't believe you."

Marnie pursed her lips, "All right, we'll do this the hard way."

Flicking her wrist she sent the shotgun spinning from Sookie's grasp, Sookie had barely enough time to recover from her surprise when she was knocked to the ground by one of Marnie's lackeys.

"Find her," Marnie barked.

Marnie's lackeys moved to obey her order when there was a loud roar of fury from outside and Eric smashed through the window.

"Touch her and I will kill you," Eric snarled through his fangs as he took up a defensive position in front of the hidey hole entrance.

Marnie looked decidedly unimpressed, "I wouldn't try anything if I were you," she warned in return with a malicious smile.

"Eric! She's casting a spell!" Sookie cried out, scrambling to her feet.

The words were barely out of Sookie's mouth before Eric had pinned Marnie to the ground, breaking her concentration.

His fangs were inches from her throat when he was hauled off by an enthralled vampire. Marnie scrambled to her feet as Eric turned to face his attacker, just as Bill and a group of vampires entered the fray.

Seeing that they were outnumbered, Marnie called off her followers and disappeared into the night. Bill sent two vampires after them, but held out little hope of them actually catching up with the witches or being effective if they did.

The moment he was certain the witches had left, Eric made his way into the hidey hole.

"Pam?" he called, jumping to the ground from halfway up the ladder when he couldn't see her in the small room.

A muffled sob caught his attention and he knelt down beside the bed, "Pam?" he repeated softly, lifting the edge of the blanket and looking under the bed.

Curled up in the furthest corner from the door was Pam, clutching his shirt to her chest and sobbing.

"Pam, it's ok," he told her, lifting the bed out of the way and taking a seat next to her shaking form. "I'm here, you're safe now," he assured her.

"I was so frightened," she sobbed, allowing him to pull her into his lap. "I couldn't even help Sookie…" she broke off, burying her face in his neck.

"Shh…" he soothed, gently rubbing circles on her back and whispering words of comfort in his native tongue.

Presently her sobs died out and she calmed, gently he wiped the bloodstains off her face.

"You silly girl," he said quietly, "I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"Please, Eric," she begged, clutching the front of his jacket, "don't leave me alone again."

"I won't," he promised, cradling her in his arms and gently rocking back and forth. "I won't leave you again," he whispered into her hair.


	12. Howlin' For My Baby

"I don't like this," Eric muttered the next evening.

"If I let you only do what you liked, Eric, I would never be able to get you to do anything," Bill replied out of the corner of his mouth. "Besides," he continued as they both took their seats on stage at the Festival of Tolerance, "this is a public place, in theory there's nowhere safer for Pam to be."

"In theory," Eric muttered darkly. Looking out over the crowd he could see Pam standing with Sookie towards the front, still clutching his shirt.

He shot her a reassuring smile, tinged with a hint of amusement as he considered how much he was going to tease her about that when the curse was broken.

Absently he scanned the room, listening with half an ear as Nan and Bill made their speeches. He knew that Bill was right and that a public arena was the safest place for Pam at the moment. But that didn't change the fact that he wanted nothing more than to find a safe, secluded place and keep her there until everything had blown over.

A movement on the upper level of the building caught his eye and he saw Marnie standing on a balcony.

"She's here," he growled, getting slowly to his feet just as Marnie's minions – several of whom were enthralled vampires – stormed the building and all hell broke loose.

"Eric!"

Pam's terrified scream cut through him like a knife as he tried desperately to reach her through the pandemonium.

He grunted in frustration as he shoved people and vampires alike out of his path, only to find that she wasn't where he had thought.

"Eric!" she called again and he whirled around to see her struggling against the hold of an enthralled vampire.

The sight of her in danger made Eric see red and he launched himself after her with a roar of pure, unadulterated rage. Only to end up skidding to a halt as Pam and the rest of Marnie's followers suddenly disappeared.

Eric let out a deep, almost feral cry of pain and fury.

Hanging his head he caught sight of the shirt that he had given her lying on the ground nearby and, somehow, that hurt him even more.

...

**A/N: As you may have noticed, this is going to deviate from events in Season 4 but I hope you still enjoy where it's going :)**


	13. I Believe In You

**A/N: Thank you, once again, for all of your lovely reviews/favourites. I really appreciate it :)**

"That _bitch_ has my Pam, I am _not _going to just sit here and let her get away with it," Eric snarled, invading Bill's personal space.

"I am not asking you to," Bill replied evenly, Eric made a disgusted noise and walked away. "But dawn is approaching, there's nothing we can do for her at the moment," Bill continued.

"She took Sookie as well," Eric spat, pacing like a caged animal, "does it change things knowing she has your fairy?"

"Who she has is irrelevant," Bill told him, "we have to regroup before we can even attempt to get them back safely."

"Fine," Eric growled after a long moment, "but Marnie is mine."

"Fine," Bill agreed.

Over at the Moon Goddess Emporium Marnie regarded Pam as she cowered next to Sookie in a corner.

"How the mighty have fallen," she gloated.

"What do you want with us?" Sookie demanded.

"Oh, it's not you two I'm after, you're just the bait," Marnie replied with a cruel smile.

"Bill," Sookie whispered. "That's who you want, isn't it? Bill and Eric," Sookie said in a louder tone.

"For now," Marnie said with a condescending smile.

"Eric will stop you," Pam said in a small voice.

"You keep telling yourself that, buttercup," Marnie told her, before leaving the pair alone to speak with one of her followers.

Once Marnie was out of earshot, Sookie turned to Pam, "Are you all right?" she asked gently.

"I think so," Pam said quietly, hugging her knees.

Noticing the tears welling in Pam's eyes, Sookie impulsively put her arm around her shoulders. "I lost my shirt…" Pam whimpered, dropping her head to Sookie's shoulder.

"It will be ok," Sookie soothed, rubbing her arm comfortingly.

"It smelt like Eric," Pam said softly, "that made me feel safe." She paused, "But Eric will come," she said finally, more to herself than Sookie. "He promised," she added, lifting her head from Sookie's shoulder to look at her.

Sookie gave her shoulders a small squeeze, "Then he will come," she agreed with a small smile.


	14. Without Her

Eric was restless.

He couldn't remember a time when he hadn't felt protective of Pam and the few times that she had been in danger had nearly driven him to distraction.

But this time it was different.

This time she was so _helpless_.

Her terrified screams for help echoed in his ears and, even now, he could feel her terror coursing through their bond.

She couldn't remember how to block him and he didn't have the heart to block her himself. After betraying the blind faith she had placed in him, being able to feel her terror was the least he deserved as punishment.

He'd promised to protect her, to keep her safe and he had failed.

He closed his eyes and he could see her, looking more like a frightened child than his Pam, but still his Pam nonetheless.

He glanced at the shirt that lay nearby, remembering how she had begged for him not to leave her and he'd given her his shirt in an attempt to calm her fears.

Looking at it now he wondered how he could ever have found it amusing that something so small had become so precious to her.

He wasn't deserving of her adoration and it was humbling how something that just held his scent had made her feel safe.

Eric rested his head back against the bars of the cell in Bill's basement with a heavy sigh, catching Bill's quizzical look out of the corner of his eye as he did so.

"We'll get her back, Eric," Bill assured him.

"She's still frightened," Eric told him softly, "I failed her," he added his tone so low that, even with his superior hearing, Bill almost missed it.

"Marnie took us all by surprise, you did what you could," Bill replied firmly, but Eric was lost in his own thoughts and didn't hear him.

Eric suppressed a grimace as he remembered the adoration in Pam's gaze whenever she looked at him lately, "Is it possible that I'm not as amazing as I always thought I was?" he asked, turning to look at Bill.

Bill raised both eyebrows, "Well, anything's possible."

...

**A/N: I wasn't going to include the last few lines of dialogue here, but it just didn't seem right without it...the last two lines are from a conversation with a friend of mine.**


	15. A View To A Kill

**A/N: Most of the dialogue in this chapter is taken/adapted from S4:11 "Soul of Fire"**

"Remember, Marnie is mine," Eric said to Bill as they made their way to the Moon Goddess Emporium the next evening.

"How can I forget with you reminding me every five minutes?" Bill muttered.

Recognising the truth in his statement, Eric made no reply. He rolled his shoulders; it felt good to be finally _doing_ something.

Somehow Pam's blind faith in him, even though she knew nothing about him, gnawed at him; especially in light of his failure to protect her, despite his promises. Now that he was away from the cold basement and on the march to rescue Pam, however, Eric felt more confident in himself and his abilities.

Tonight he would prove to himself that he truly was worthy of Pam's devotion.

Bill, Eric and the vampires that accompanied them all stopped just short of the Moon Goddess Emporium and took up defensive positions.

Eric felt Pam's ripple of pleasure mixed with relief when she sensed his presence, he sent her a wave of reassurance in return and felt some of her terror recede.

Bill stepped forward, "We have come for the girl and the vampire you hold hostage," he called out, "show your face, witch."

After a moment, the door opened, revealing Marnie and one of her followers, "I'm afraid I can't just let you have them," Marnie called back.

"I'm afraid my friend here will settle for nothing less," Bill replied, indicating Eric who bared his fangs.

"Fine, they can go, but I want something in exchange," Marnie conceded after a moment.

"I would have thought that the lives of your people would be sufficient," Eric spat; Bill and Marnie both chose to ignore his outburst.

Bill was about to reply when one of the vampires suddenly broke ranks, "Enough talking!" he cried and flung himself at Marnie.

Marnie didn't even flinch as he hit a barrier that turned him instantly into a pile of ash.

"Did I mention how well defended we are?" Marnie asked, smiling at the shocked faces of the remaining vampires. "Amazing, isn't it?" she continued, "The power of the sun, harnessed. The protection spell is impenetrable to most humans and to a vampire…" her smile took on a malicious edge, "one touch and it's an instant death sentence."

Bill drew himself up, "You mentioned a deal?"

"Oh, so now you will negotiate?"

"What do you want?" Eric snapped.

"Your lives," Marnie said simply.

Bill and Eric glanced at each other.

"Kill yourselves and they will walk free," Marnie stipulated, watching them both closely. "A life for a life, has a nice symmetry, don't you think?"

Whilst Bill took a moment to think it over, Eric almost smiled at the suggestion. What better way for him to prove himself?

"I accept," Eric told Marnie, who looked a little surprised by his confident tone.

"Fine," Bill agreed at the same time, "but I want to see them both first."

Marnie nodded to her companion who bustled inside.

"You realised that our deaths will not stop this, there will be others," Bill cautioned her, "you will still be destroyed."

"Perhaps," Marnie conceded, "but as you have seen we are well defended," she smirked, "at least your precious Sookie and his child will be free," she said sweetly.

"What's going on?" Sookie demanded as she and Pam were brought from the building.

"I have your word? You will set them free?" Bill confirmed.

"As free as a resurrected bird," Marnie assured him.

Sookie's eyes found Bill's, "Bill?" she questioned.

"We've made a deal," Marnie explained before Bill could reply, "their lives for yours."

"What?" Sookie gasped.

"No!" Pam protested in the same moment, turning desperately to Eric, "Eric?" she asked in a small voice.

"I won't let her hurt you," he said evenly.

"But _you_ are hurting me," Pam whispered, tears running freely down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, _Hasi_."

Sookie put her arm around Pam's shaking shoulders as she looked at Bill, "I can't let you do this," she insisted.

"It's the only way," Bill replied, taking up his weapon and turning to face Eric.

"Bill-" Jessica began, but Bill silenced her with a look.

"You will shoot me," he said, turning his attention back to Eric, "and then Jessica will shoot you, agreed?"

Eric nodded and took aim.

...

**A/N: Don't worry, I do know where I want to go from here but I just need to fine tune it. Besides, I thought this would make a good cliffhanger :P**


	16. You 'll Always Be The One I Love

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! :) ****I have at least one more chapter to go, which I will finish up tomorrow (hopefully) but I felt bad leaving you all hanging! :)** **Hope this lives up to your expectations! :)**

Eric lay dazed on the ground, wondering briefly if he was dead.

Dimly he could remember a flash of light before he was knocked off his feet. This faint memory brought with it the realisation that he hadn't met the True Death and he sat up slowly.

Nearby he could see Bill crouching next to Jessica, who was remonstrating with him for his wiliness to die for Sookie.

Sookie.

He shook his head a little as he remembered that she was the one who had caused the burst of light that had knocked them to the ground and disabled the field.

Then he remembered something else: Pam.

He had to get to Pam.

In reality his recovery had only taken a few seconds, but it had felt much longer and he was worried about what might have happened to Pam in the meantime.

His concern grew when he saw that she was still lying on the ground.

He saw Marnie get to her feet and was at Pam's side in the next instant, but he needn't have worried.

Pam wasn't Marnie's target, Sookie was.

Marnie got within two feet of the slightly bewildered waitress before Bill shot her in the head with his weapon. Eric watched her drop to the ground and, despite his earlier insistence, felt no remorse over not being the one to kill her.

Pam was his only concern now.

He dropped down on one knee beside her, "Pam?" he asked hopefully as her eyes fluttered.

Pam groaned and opened her eyes, "What happened?" she asked, sounding a little groggy.

"Sookie disabled the field," he explained, smoothing her hair off her forehead.

Pam grimaced, "I'm not sure how I feel about owing my life to Sookie," she said, sitting up.

Eric froze and Pam looked at him in confusion, "Are you all right?" she asked.

Eric eyed her carefully, "Yes…are you?"

"Oh that," Pam said, a shade dismissively, "yes, I believe I am."

"So you won't be needing this then?" Eric clarified with a teasing smile, holding up the shirt she'd been carrying around the last few days.

"I think I'll manage," she replied, her sarcastic tone belied by the mix of warmer emotions that the gesture elicited, making Eric smile.

"But what about you?" she continued, the warmer feelings dissipating as she fixed him with a hard stare, "Suicide? _That_ was the master rescue plan?"

"It seemed like the best idea at the time," Eric told her, a touch defensively as he helped her to her feet, keeping his arm securely around her waist.

"Yes, because Marnie could be trusted not to go back on her word," Pam retorted. She shook her head, "I never thought you would ever consider ending your life."

"Well I wasn't actually thinking about _me_," Eric replied distractedly, assessing their surroundings.

Pam's eyes widened a little at his admission, "Oh."

Eric turned back to look at her and raised his eyebrows slightly, something passed between them and Pam shook her head again.

"You don't have to prove anything to me," she said softly.

"I was proving it to myself," he replied, just as softly.

They continued to stare at each other, silently reaffirming their bond, before a noise from nearby brought them back to reality.

Pam looked across to where the other vampires were clearing out the Moon Goddess Emporium and suppressed a shudder. "I'm glad it's all over," she commented, moving to follow Eric as he started to walk down the street, in the opposite direction to the Emporium.

"I don't know, you were much more obedient under the witch's spell," Eric teased.

Pam pulled a face at him and he chuckled.

"I would love you in any form, _nämen älskling_," he told her, putting his arm around her shoulders, "but I am glad to have you back," he added, pulling her closer and kissing her forehead.

"Nice recovery," Pam said drily.

"I meant every word," he informed her, feigning offence.

Smiling, Pam slipped her arm around his waist, "That's what makes it so nice," she teased.

Eric's answering laugh echoed behind them as he led her off into the darkness.

...

**A/N: Yeah, so I rewatched the scene outside the MGE to write this (and the previous chapter) and it kind of bugged me that Sookie didn't think to use her powers to stop Bill and Eric from trying to kill each other. I mean, seriously, if she really cared surely she would try harder to stop them...?  
>Anyways, as I said, hope you enjoyed this! :)<br>**


	17. Epilogue: A Girl Worth Fighting For

**A/N: As I said in the previous chapter, I felt that this needed just a little something to round it off. Hope you like what I came up with :) Thank you for all the reviews :)  
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Pam sat nestled comfortably against the pillows on her bed, sporting a pair of hot pink flannel pyjamas and a new manicure/pedicure, flipping idly through a magazine.

She started when Eric came into the room and, with vampire speed, hid something under the pillows. Eric either didn't notice or chose to ignore her actions as he climbed onto the end of her bed.

"I thought you'd be off chasing Sookie again since you no long have to babysit me," she drawled, watching him make himself comfortable.

"The past few days reminded me that there is only _one_ person in my life worth fighting for," he replied seriously.

"I didn't realise you and Bill had become so close over the past few days," she teased, deliberating misunderstanding him.

Eric smiled sweetly at her, "Be careful, my dear," he warned her with mock solemnity, "or I may ask you what you hid under your pillow."

"I didn't hide anything under my pillow," Pam lied.

"Then you won't mind if I take a look," Eric replied easily, moving to do just that.

"This is an invasion of my privacy," Pam protested, attempting to shove him off the bed.

Eric continued to crawl up the bed unabated and, gently moving her aside, looked behind her pillow. He grinned and glanced over at Pam who was silently willing herself to disappear, but she met his eyes with a challenging glare.

"What have we here?" he taunted, reaching behind the pillow to retrieve one of his shirts.

"I know what you're thinking," Pam began.

"I didn't realise telepathy was amongst your many talents," Eric interjected with a smirk.

Pam ignored his interruption, "But I found it and was going to return it to you once I finished waiting for my nails to dry," she continued.

"Is that so?"

"Yes," she replied bravely.

"I don't believe you," he said flatly.

"Well, that's your problem isn't it?" she replied, making a grab for the shirt.

Eric moved it beyond her reach, "If you were simply going to return it to, I'll save you the trouble and take it now," he said reasonably, climbing off the bed.

Trapped in her lie Pam crossed her arms, pouting, "All right, I didn't find it," she confessed, "satisfied?" she asked, making another grab for the shirt that Eric dodged easily.

"Not by a long shot," he replied, sitting back down on the edge of the bed, "_why_ do you have my shirt, Pam?" he pressed.

"Because…" she sighed, "because I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about everything that has happened and I wanted to feel close to you," she explained in a rush, bowing her head so that he couldn't see her face. "And I thought you were going to be with Sookie tonight," she grumbled.

With her face hidden Pam couldn't see Eric's smile, but she could feel his affection, tinged with amusement, as he came to sit next to her. "Silly girl," he admonished her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close against his side, "how could you think I'd want to be with anyone else?"

"Because you've been mooning around like a lovesick fool ever since she stepped into our bar," Pam snapped, leaning against him despite herself and pulling the shirt from his grasp.

"I admit there was a time that I found her fascinating," he conceded, "but when you were both in danger it was _you_ I was concerned for, _you_ who I would die to protect." He paused, "The past few days made me realise many things, but the most important is that I'm not about to let Sookie or anyone else jeopardise my eternity with you."

Pam wasn't sure what to say after that, but the swirl of emotions he could feel from her told him enough.

He rested his cheek against her hair and smiled a little; he may have found Sookie fascinating for a while, but she had nothing on the woman he held in his arms.

Pam was only girl worth fighting for.


End file.
